Friday, September 25, 2015

A Pope who reaches out and touches people of every faith, the marginalized, the poor, the forgotten, the voiceless - what an uplifting example of humanity and humility. Love and prayers to you Pope Francis, on this Eid; along with so many, I am inspired and humbled.

What a Remarkable human, who I would place in the same category as Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Theresa, Martin Luther King etc. I have been impressed by his unapologetic, nondiscriminatory, and broad humanitarianism from the very beginning of his papacy, but last night I was moved again when I heard him, from St. Patrick's Cathedral, wish Muslims a Happy Eid, and stand in solidarity with the families of the hundreds of people killed in the stampede in Mecca.

Monday, September 7, 2015

The media has a big role in not getting it right. When people say black lives matter, they are not saying that all other lives do not matter. No, indeed, that is not the message. Since black lives are a subset of all lives, saying "black lives matter" not only does not exclude "all lives", it actually necessarily implies that all lives do matter. It's simple logic. Of-course all lives matter, but there is a critical issue in front of faces that must be recognized and that is why #blacklivesmatter is important to talk about - this is a good article that puts it in perspective.

Sunday, September 6, 2015

MIA in a humanitarian crisis unprecedented since World War II - 6 of the richest Gulf governments; Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain. According to Amnesty International, they have offered 0 resettlement places to Syrian refugees. None of these 6 governments are signatories of the UN's 1951 Refugee Convention, and none of them are innocent bystanders in the the civil way that has led to this humanitarian crisis. It appears that palaces built on oil and gold are too blinding to see human suffering.

Wednesday, September 2, 2015

What papers?? These are refugees - seeking refuge from their fellow humans! They left behind everything, carrying only their children and their courage - they have no proper papers! The looks on their faces should be enough. I see my own 2 children in every one of these precious faces. Come on now! And also rise to the occasion Saudi Arabia and the other 5 oil rich countries who have given homes to exactly 0 refugees!!